Grassroots politics

After all the hype leading up to Nevada’s Democratic caucus, it was kinda a let down. For two hours, I sat on a bleacher in a middle school and cast first one vote and then another for BarakObama. We cheered and clapped when someone from another political corner defected and joined ours, but there wasn’t any raucous debating or even polite persuasion for entertainment. No. Just neighbor meeting neighbor so that next summer we can wave and chat over lawnmowers.

But it’s the local connection that makes a caucus so cool. While it’s great that a caucus empowers voters and amplifies Nevada’s voice at the national level, it’s the community that was created Saturday that really mattered. I met people who were interesting and funny and thoughtful, and learned that we shared not just party lines but property lines too.